Neutralization Mechanisms in Protest-related Vandalism: Implications for Psycholinguistic Crisis Communication

Authors

M. Agung Lyndardi, Universitas Katolik Musi CharitasFollow

Abstract

Protest-related vandalism has become a recurring phenomenon in Indonesia’s democratic landscape, particularly during large-scale demonstrations involving students, labor groups, and civil society coalitions. Conventional legal approaches that define vandalism as a public-order violation are insufficient to explain why such actions persist, why they concentrate on symbolic state targets, and why participants frequently deny moral wrongdoing. This article analyzes protest-related vandalism in Indonesia through the framework of neutralization theory (Sykes & Matza, 1957), integrating perspectives from criminology, moral disengagement theory, collective action, political legitimacy, and public psycholinguistics. Using a structured literature review of international and Indonesian scholarship published between 1957 and 2024, this study demonstrates that denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of the victim, condemnation of condemners, and appeal to higher loyalties operate as cognitive mechanisms that justify vandalism during protest escalation. These mechanisms are reinforced by moralized grievances, low institutional trust, digital protest communication, and state responses to mass demonstrations. The article argues that crisis communication by state authorities functions as a psycholinguistic intervention that can either amplify or constrain neutralization processes. The findings offer criminologically grounded implications for developing de-escalatory communication strategies that reduce protest-related vandalism while maintaining democratic legitimacy in Indonesia.

References

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Bahasa Abstract

Vandalisme terkait aksi protes telah menjadi fenomena berulang dalam lanskap demokrasi Indonesia, khususnya pada demonstrasi berskala besar yang melibatkan mahasiswa, kelompok buruh, dan koalisi masyarakat sipil. Pendekatan hukum konvensional yang mendefinisikan vandalisme semata sebagai pelanggaran ketertiban umum belum memadai untuk menjelaskan mengapa tindakan tersebut terus berulang, mengapa sasarannya terkonsentrasi pada simbol-simbol negara, serta mengapa para pelaku kerap menolak adanya kesalahan moral dalam tindakannya. Artikel ini menganalisis vandalisme dalam konteks aksi protes di Indonesia melalui kerangka teori netralisasi (Sykes & Matza, 1957) dengan mengintegrasikan perspektif kriminologi, teori pelepasan moral, aksi kolektif, legitimasi politik, dan psikologi linguistik publik. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode tinjauan pustaka terstruktur terhadap literatur internasional dan Indonesia yang diterbitkan antara tahun 1957 hingga 2024. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa mekanisme penyangkalan tanggung jawab, penyangkalan kerugian, penyangkalan korban, pengutukan terhadap pihak yang mengutuk, serta pembelaan atas loyalitas yang lebih tinggi berfungsi sebagai mekanisme kognitif yang membenarkan vandalisme dalam proses eskalasi aksi protes. Mekanisme tersebut diperkuat oleh keluhan yang termoralisasi, rendahnya kepercayaan terhadap institusi, komunikasi protes berbasis digital, serta respons negara terhadap demonstrasi massa. Artikel ini berargumen bahwa komunikasi krisis yang dilakukan oleh otoritas negara berperan sebagai intervensi psikologi linguistik yang dapat memperkuat maupun membatasi proses netralisasi tersebut. Temuan penelitian ini memberikan implikasi kriminologis bagi pengembangan strategi komunikasi de-eskalatif yang mampu menekan vandalisme dalam aksi protes tanpa mengorbankan legitimasi demokratis di Indonesia..

Recommended Citation

Lyndardi, M. Agung (2026) "Neutralization Mechanisms in Protest-related Vandalism: Implications for Psycholinguistic Crisis Communication," Jurnal Kriminologi Indonesia: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/kriminologi/vol2/iss1/4